The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) implores the Harare City Council to address the major drivers of typhoid and prevent needless loss of lives in the capital.
CHRA is concerned that typhoid continues to spread across Harare mainly as a result of acute water shortages, poor sanitation, raw sewer spillages and uncollected garbage.
Of major concern is the fact that the Harare City Council has apparently failed to prioritize service delivery with $10 million out of the $12 million collected monthly going towards obscene salaries for council staff.
Service delivery has largely suffered due to the fact that council is allocating most of its financial resources to overpaid salaries.
As a result of council’s failure to prioritize service delivery, residents of Harare have been exposed to diseases such as typhoid and cholera.
This unfortunate development comes at a time the Harare City Council has proposed an increase in water tariffs, a development that is likely to worsen the already dire situation for residents especially given the current economic environment.
CHRA is concerned that the Harare City Council is squeezing suffering residents as a way of footing its bloated wage bill while service delivery suffers.
Residents have a constitutional right of access to clean, safe and portable water as well as the right to live in a safe and clean environment.
The violation of these fundamental rights by the Harare City Council is an issue of major concern that calls for intervention from responsible authorities.
In February this year (2017) CHRA engaged that Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) following a typhoid outbreak that had claimed six lives in Harare.
The ZHRC gave an assurance that they would act to ensure the Harare City Council respects residents’ constitutional rights such as the right to water and a clean, safe environment.
CHRA urges the ZHRC to urgently act on the rot in Harare to avoid needless loss of lives.
Source: CHRA
